$1.50 July 21, 2023 | Vol. 2 Iss. 29
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No One Fights Alone Fundraiser helps those fighting cancer
MORGAN COUNTY NEWS
page 7
Covering Your Community Since 1929
Flying gliders is more than a hobby – it’s a passion
NEWS BREAK Potential Long Island Serial Killer arrested
After years of attempts to identify and apprehend the perpetrator of at least 18 killings in the Gilgo Beach area of Long Island from 1996 to 2011, a man has been directly connected to at least three of the victims. The killer, who primarily found his victims on Craigslist, was referred to as the Long Island Serial Killer (LISK) but has now been potentially identified as Rex Heuermann, 59. Heuermann’s DNA was discovered on at least one of the victims of the series of crimes, and DNA matching his wife was discovered on two others. Police believe the second DNA most likely indicates that the murders took place at Heuermann’s residence where DNA transfer occurred, and no other members of his family are considered suspects. Connections to a number of other victims are being explored. The case has been one of the highest profile unsolved national serial killing cases for the last 20 plus years.
Florida ocean temperatures reach record heights
ALLEY’S GLIDER FLIES over Mt. Nebo.
By Becky Ginos MORGAN—Flying through the air without an engine sounds crazy but that’s exactly what Lynn Alley does in his glider. The Bountiful man has loved to fly since he was a teen and it’s still his passion 53 years later. He is chief instructor for the Utah Soaring Association and flies out of Morgan, Logan, Nephi and Heber but mostly out of Morgan. “Most people don’t know they exist,” he said. “You have to be a licensed airplane pilot and get a license with a
Courtesy photo
special category rating. A Cessna can’t fly unless it’s licensed by the FAA. Like a plane, a glider has to be licensed by the FAA.” Alley’s glider is 66 feet wide and weighs 900 pounds empty. It holds two people. “It’s pulled by a rope behind a powered airplane to get going,” he said. Wind doesn’t just go horizontally, said Alley. “Air has lots of up and down movement. If you get a piece of air vertically it will carry the glider up. Using the aircraft skillfully it can go long distances for hours. I went from Morgan to Escalante and returned. I
went 390 miles and was in flight for over eight hours.” Alley caught the aviation bug when he was 11 years old. “I decided I really, really had to fly,” he said. “When I was 12 I was watching a Saturday morning kids’ show and it said you can’t really get a license until you’re 16. It mentioned that you could train on gliders when you were 14. When you’re 14, 16 sounds like half of forever.” He told his parents and they thought he was nuts, Alley said. “They told me
ALLEY on page 6
Local man preserves fishing memories Mark Etherington enjoys artistry and challenge of fish taxidermy By Liisa London Mecham
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hat started as a hobby for Mark Etherington, a local Morgan City resident for 30 years, has become his retirement job or retirement “fun” as he calls it. Ethington, who was first introduced to taxidermy by a middle school teacher in his childhood town of Payson, Utah, loves his opportunity to capture special memories people create while fishing. “It’s all about the memories that go along with the mount,” he shared. “There is a story behind every mount.” “I’ve done a 9 ½ foot Pacific Blue Marlin that took the man an hour to land in Cabo San Lucas, and I’ve also done a 13 inch fish for a grandpa to give to his granddaughter as a special reminder of the first fish she caught.” Growing up in Payson, Etherington spent most of his time hunting and fishing, but he recalls those weeks that he got up at 6 a.m. to learn how to taxidermy a bird from his teacher. He enjoyed the process, but “bird skin is so thin and hard to work with.” Throughout his later schooling, family life, and working career, Etherington never really had time to return to taxidermy, but when he retired and he and his wife Patty served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Denver, Colorado, he became acquainted with an 84-year-old man who was a taxidermist. “I would go over on Saturdays and help him with his pond and land, and he would share his knowledge about taxidermy. Fish taxidermyreally caught my eye,” Etherington explained. “From that time I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos,
ETHERINGTON on page 6
The ocean water off the coast of Florida has been recorded at temperatures above 97 degrees Fahrenheit over the last two weeks, breaking records for heat at this time of year. The excess water temperatures are causing the coastal coral to “bleach,” which can ultimately lead to its death if the heat remains in place. The coral reefs provide sources of food and shelter for the ecosystem on the coastal shelf, and any loss of coral habitat will likely have large ripple effects on the local fishing economy and biome health.
New ID Cards available for voting
As part of a new law that took effect July 1, the Idaho Transportation Department is offering free state identification cards for Idaho adults who do not have a driver’s license to use for voting. The no-fee IDs were part of House Bill 340, a new voter registration law that Secretary of State Phil McGrane sponsored during the 2023 legislative session. The cards are available free to individuals who are 18 or older who have not had a driver’s license for at least six months and who indicate on their application that they need the ID for voting requirements. Individuals will need to prove they are a U.S. citizen or have U.S. citizenship documents scanned on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain the free ID card. The IDs are valid for four years, and applicants who obtain a free ID are entitled to one free replacement card and free renewals for as long as they meet the eligibility criteria. The free IDs are not valid for driving.
Powerball expected to reach $900 million by Monday
ETHERINGTON RECENTLY COMPLETED this tiger trout for a customer. Fish taxidermy requires a lot of artistry to paint the fish.
Courtesy photo
If you’ve noticed the increased traffic at Exit 13 lately, it’s at least partly related to the Powerball jackpot, which is on its way to almost a billion dollars again. If predictions are accurate, next week’s drawing will be for the third highest Powerball payout on record, approximately $461 million after taxes. This will be the 37th consecutive drawing without a winner, and the odds of winning are one in 292 million.